The 89th Academy Awards will be hosted at the Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center on Sunday, February 26, 2017. The last time we checked there isn’t actually a category for “Best Homebuilder Marketing Video.” But if you’re not using video to promote your homebuilding business, you may be missing out on some great opportunities.

Video grabs people's attention quicker and easier than text or even photos. So why not make a video to market your building or remodeling business? It's just not that hard anymore. Follow these five tips in order to make a great looking video.

A
video is a strong toolto engage your visitor with your site, share your passion for building and demonstrate your enthusiasm for your homes or projects. It has become one of the best ways to get your story to your potential customers and a simple format to reach larger audiences, communicate your message and get found. You do not have to spend thousands on a video while an inexpensive campaign can get you the same result. With planning you can add video to your marketing tool belt without exceeding your budget.

You will have to become a builder/producer while putting yourself in your customer’s shoes to clearly define the goals of the video and determine the type of video you want to produce.

There is no specific combination of components that will make a video "go viral." Typically the more good qualities you have, the more likely it is that your content will be viral. Here are 10 tips for making your builder video go viral.

1. Use a parody or spoof: One of the most popular kinds of humor is to spoof something that is already popular. Consider writing lyrics about construction to a tune that closely mirrors a current song and creating a music video to go with it.

2. Music: Videos are almost always more engaging with music. If you are not creating your own music, use music with a
Creative Commons license.

3. Keep it short: At most, your video should be a 3-4 minutes long.

4. Uptempo: If you use music in your video (see tip 2!), it is preferable to keep it uptempo. People are generally more engaged by music with a lively beat. If you are set on using a particular slower tune, consider how it could be portrayed in a humorous setting to keep the mood light throughout the video. 5. Sharp, quick scenes: Keep the majority of your scenes 3-10 seconds long with all scenes under 15 seconds long.

6. Funny for outsiders: We've all seen comedy that is aimed at very specific groups of people. While you and your co-workers can enjoy telling inside builder jokes and stories all day, the public may not find them very funny. Make sure that your video will be funny to the outside eye.

7. Don't focus on quality: Some of the funniest videos online are ones that look very homemade. If no one in your company is particularly computer savvy, don't sweat it. Focus on the content inside of the quality of the video.

8. Strive to be bigger than life: Don't be afraid to capture completely ridiculous things on camera. Keep your stunts safe, but have fun. People often enjoy watching scenes that would look completely ridiculous in day to day life.

9. Shock effect: Use the first 5 seconds of your video to set the stage. You want to grab viewers' attention right away so they keep watching.

10. Corporate balance: It can be tempting to plaster your logo all over your video. Instead, include something simple such as a single logo at beginning and end of the video. If you have a strong video, you will sell the viewers on your company.

This blog is dedicated to providing valuable information to home builders, remodelers, and contractors about inbound sales and marketing. It's full of test, experiments, and ideas from our dedicated team of marketers.